Found a new money pit...
- Thread starter Nark
- Start date
z987k
Well-Known Member
There's a shop in Fairbanks that specializes in them. I've avoided looking at Stinsons because of the engine though. Whenever I see something else for sale with one, it's like a mark of death. Maule M5 with the 220? Half the price of the 210hp with the IO-360.
Congrats on the purchase. You still live up here?
Nark
Macho Superpilot
Oh no... I left in Jan of 2011. I'm in Alabama learning to fly helo's on the Govt's dime.
Capt. Chaos
Well-Known Member
Didn't PZL make Franklins for a while?
Nark
Macho Superpilot
Brief search says PZL bought them in the 70's.
swisspilot
Well-Known Member
I think they still do.
z987k
Well-Known Member
I don't think they make new engines. Parts, but they're not known to be of the highest quality. I think there's someone down in Texas making stuff to though.
Ian_J
Hubschrauber Flieger
What phase are you in now?
Nark
Macho Superpilot
WOBC.
PositionAndHold
Well-Known Member
Congrats on the purchase. As you can tell by my avatar, I'm a Stinson fan, I've got a ’47 108-1. However it has all the changes that a 108-2 has. Which is a 165hp Franklin instead of the 150hp and a baggage door. They're great airplanes. Don't worry about the Franklin at all, they're bullet proof. Ours always seems to,run a little smoother at 2550rpm rather than the 23-2400 that some people like. It really seems to smoooooth out above 2500rpm. PZL did buy the rights to the engines for a while, you used to be able to get a 180hp version they made but I don't know what happened to it.I bought 1947 Stinson 108-1.
This is what the pre-buy found
After agreeing on a price/fix.
This is what she looks like on the inside:
Uniavair in Colorado has the type cert for all the airframe parts. As far as I was told if they don't have the part in stock, they'll make one from the drawings. Ours only had left side toe brakes when we bought it. So we bought a brand new set of dual side pedal/brakes from them. There were a few other changes we made that were worth every penny. Swapping out the crappy Goodyear drum brakes for a set of Cleveland wheels/brakes was huge. Ours had a Scott tail wheel but we swapped it out for a newer version we got a deal on. We bought a new fuel selector. I can't think of the name but ours was getting so bad it took two hands to turn it. Now, it simply clicks through the detents buttery smooth. I re-did the front seat bottoms with memory foam from Aircraft Spruce (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/ap/seat_foam/conForFoan.php). I used the three inch/layer foam from the link. I simply removed the old seat covers, cut the foam to shape, stretched the old seat cover back over and was done. Took less that a day and was probably the best $160 dollars spent. Makes it super comfy on long trips.
We've replaced one cylinder and currently one is getting low. We used a place called Lil' Red Aero in Kearney, NE. That was a few years ago but did very good work. What place have you found that does engine work? Also, of you ever run across Franklin helicopter engines thinking you'll get a good deal, you probably won't. We had a stack of cylinders (most just empty cores) that came with our airplane. One completely overhauled and ready to go. Well, when we went to replace the cylinder I mentioned, the new one was a little off on the bolt pattern. They look identical but unless you put them up against the engine or another cylinder you'd never know they were for the helicopter version and not the fixed wing.
Hopefully I didn't bore you with the post, you've probably heard most of it. I'm sure I'll think of more stuff later, but if you've got any questions at all feel free to pm. We've had ours about ten years and still love it. It looks based on N number ours was about 40 s/n's after yours. Enjoy,
Nark
Macho Superpilot
The hair was standing up on my neck after an hour flight.
She wasn't idling like I expected her too, plus the mag was acting up. Something wasn't right.
Called the A&P out after an unplanned night in MGM. He found the left mag leads were loose on 1-3-5. Kind of irritated at this point. Tightened the cowl, fired her back up. Still crappy idle. Conversed with @PositionAndHold and he steered me in the right direction. I owe him many many beers.
The intake was never tightened after the cylinder replacement last week. Right where he told me to look.
Moral of the story: have trust and faith in the A&P you select. Trust your spicy senses too.
She wasn't idling like I expected her too, plus the mag was acting up. Something wasn't right.
Called the A&P out after an unplanned night in MGM. He found the left mag leads were loose on 1-3-5. Kind of irritated at this point. Tightened the cowl, fired her back up. Still crappy idle. Conversed with @PositionAndHold and he steered me in the right direction. I owe him many many beers.
The intake was never tightened after the cylinder replacement last week. Right where he told me to look.
Moral of the story: have trust and faith in the A&P you select. Trust your spicy senses too.
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PositionAndHold
Well-Known Member
I tend to trust me spicy and my Spidey senses.
Glad to be of help. No beers needed. Go enjoy the new purchase.
Glad to be of help. No beers needed. Go enjoy the new purchase.
Ian_J
Hubschrauber Flieger
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